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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — a law
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. rule — government
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mark — a grade
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pound — a weight

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