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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — ground
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mark — a trace
  6. net — after costs
  7. land — a country
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. net — for catching

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