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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: ball · bear · sharp · fork · last · pitcher · bay · saw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fork — in a road
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. last — to go on
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. last — final
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. last — finally
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — exactly
  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