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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wake — a trail
  9. firm — steady
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. game — a match
  15. firm — a company
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rock — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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