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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — in music
  14. file — a document
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. row — to paddle
  17. file — a tool
  18. date — the fruit
  19. current — happening now
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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