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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: ground · bore · saw · ball · present · bay · mark · wake

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wake — a trail
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — the time now
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ground — a position
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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