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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the fish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spring — a coil
  8. suit — to fit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. roll — a list
  18. spring — the season
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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