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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — a series
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cell — in a prison

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