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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mate — to breed
  12. firm — decided
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bay — a horse colour

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