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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. scale — in music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — size or range
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fine — all right
  20. pound — a weight
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fine — high quality

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