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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — in golf
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. swing — music
  23. fine — all right
  24. plane — an aircraft

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