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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — a hat
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — of ice
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. bank — of a river
  15. file — a document
  16. cap — a lid
  17. file — a tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — a group

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