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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. snap — to click
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. race — the arms race
  11. court — of a king
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. race — a contest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — of law
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pound — to hit hard

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