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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: bowl · mate · chip · lie · bay · firm · spring · pit

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spring — of water
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pit — a hole
  10. firm — a company
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — the season
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — to breed

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