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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — a position
  6. cue — a signal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fall — the season
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ground — crushed
  22. land — ground
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — a country

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