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

Word bank: coach · bowl · hand · wave · bay · toast · present · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. present — there
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. present — the time now
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. toast — bread
  13. hand — help
  14. present — a gift
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — in a race
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — with your hand

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