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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — high quality
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. staff — employees
  10. cold — an illness
  11. staff — a stick
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. track — a path
  14. craft — boats
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bass — low music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — all right
  19. cold — not warm
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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