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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: bay · key · march · present · wind · coach · bat · foot

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — the time now
  5. march — music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. present — there
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. present — a gift
  17. foot — a measure
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  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