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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mark — a grade
  10. present — a gift
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. present — the time now
  18. bound — obliged
  19. present — there
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cold — the Cold War

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