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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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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: firm · bowl · coach · bay · wind · present · foot · charge

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. firm — decided
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. firm — a company
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. charge — a price
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. firm — steady
  16. present — the time now
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. charge — in control
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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