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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.

Make a worksheet

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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — the fish
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. land — a country
  10. bass — the fish
  11. season — in sport
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — ground
  14. march — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. march — the month
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. land — to come down
  20. spell — magic
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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