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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.

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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pit — a hole
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fine — all right
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. scale — in music
  24. bat — for baseball

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