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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. net — for catching
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. clip — a video
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. present — there
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — for paper
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. present — a gift
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. present — the time now
  24. clip — to cut

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