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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — help
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. club — for golf
  17. march — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — a group
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fan — to cool the air

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