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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. fine — high quality
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fine — all right
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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