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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. branch — a division
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wound — an injury
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace

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