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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. last — finally
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — final
  8. march — the month
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — the amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rest — a break
  19. can — a tin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. content — happy
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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