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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 120 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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. spell — magic
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — of water
  8. track — a path
  9. march — the month
  10. track — a song
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. march — music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. spell — letters
  23. current — electric
  24. pound — for dogs

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