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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 120 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: bat · pitcher · hide · can · court · mate · ground · bay

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mate — a friend
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — for sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. court — of law
  17. bat — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mate — a partner
  24. can — a tin

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