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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. wound — an injury
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pop — soda
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — a division
  10. pop — to visit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ball — a great time
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. key — in music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rash — a series

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