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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a music group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — in sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a ring
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mug — a face
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com