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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: racket · cold · bay · pitcher · mouse · fine · pound · foot

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — a measure
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cold — not warm
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — a jug

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