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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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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: game · toast · pitcher · ball · mate · object · bay · rush

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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 — a part of the sea
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. object — a thing
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rush — hurry
  13. object — an aim
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — bread
  16. game — a match
  17. object — to protest
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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