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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. mark — a grade
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a match
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hand — help
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pop — music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — in cards
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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