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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. net — in sport
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. drill — army training
  16. tube — the underground
  17. net — after costs
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

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