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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · leaves · racket · squash · toast · rock · lie · pop

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. toast — bread
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rock — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rock — a stone
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pop — soda
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — of a tree

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