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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. root — the cause
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bound — tied together
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. bound — certain
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ball — a dance

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