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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. file — a tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. file — a document
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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