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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. row — a line
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — in music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — 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