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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chair — a leader
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — in sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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