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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. branch — a division
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ground — a position
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a grade
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. object — a thing
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. shower — rain
  16. object — to protest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. object — an aim
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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