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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. roll — a cake
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. roll — a list
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ball — a great time
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pitch — completely
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ball — a round shape

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