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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. last — finally
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — to go on
  11. kid — child
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — final
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ball — a great time

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