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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — high quality
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rock — a stone
  9. drill — army training
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. date — the fruit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rock — music

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