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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — for pool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. branch — a division
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. race — humankind
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. race — a contest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. spell — a short time

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