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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: bore · bay · net · suit · cold · staff · ground · cap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bore — to tire
  3. suit — in cards
  4. net — in sport
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ground — the earth
  8. staff — employees
  9. ground — crushed
  10. net — after costs
  11. suit — to fit
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cold — an illness
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — a position
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cap — of ice

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