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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fork — in a road
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — a law
  12. game — wild animals
  13. snap — to click
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rule — government
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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