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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · fork · bear · leaves · bay · coach

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fork — in a road
  18. coach — a trainer

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