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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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. squash — the sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — to crush
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bass — the fish
  14. date — the fruit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — a gift
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. present — there
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. jam — a tight spot

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