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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 124 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. land — ground
  3. net — in sport
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mark — a grade
  6. root — the cause
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — after costs
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a face
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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