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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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. sharp — exactly
  3. land — to come down
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — decided
  7. land — a country
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. drill — army training
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. firm — steady
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. drill — the tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. firm — a company
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — ground
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. drill — a practice
  24. coach — a trainer

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