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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 120 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: tube · mouse · pit · deal · coach · bay · club · plane

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — a group
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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