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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. pitch — completely
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. march — music
  5. last — final
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. last — finally
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. march — the month
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. march — the month
  21. land — a country
  22. lean — thin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pitcher — a jug

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