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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: wave · court · lie · pitcher · bay · rock · last · mark

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. last — finally
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. court — of law
  8. last — final
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — to recline
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. court — for sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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