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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. march — the month
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — magic
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. track — a song
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. spell — a short time
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — music
  21. march — music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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