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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cap — a hat
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. suit — clothes
  19. date — the fruit
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. suit — to fit

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