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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mark — a trace
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. row — a line
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — the season
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. spring — of water
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spring — a coil
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mark — a grade
  24. coach — a trainer

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