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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pound — a weight
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — magic
  14. hand — help
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hand — in cards
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — in music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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