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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — the time now
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spell — letters
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — army training
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. present — a gift
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  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