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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — there
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wax — to grow
  13. key — the most important part
  14. present — a gift
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bat — the animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — in music
  24. chip — in a computer

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