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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. present — there
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. present — a gift
  7. land — a country
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — a short time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — magic
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. present — the time now
  15. roll — a list
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — a cake

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