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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. club — for golf
  10. saw — the tool
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — in a road

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