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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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. last — final
  3. pop — music
  4. club — a group
  5. last — finally
  6. game — a match
  7. present — there
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — the time now
  11. last — to go on
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fall — the season
  15. club — for golf
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — a gift
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — soda
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pop — to visit

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