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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kick — in football
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. scale — size or range
  13. object — an aim
  14. root — of a plant
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. scale — in music
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — a thing
  24. bass — the fish

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