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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — a hole
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. object — an aim
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. key — for a lock
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — a thing
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitch — completely
  22. key — in music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rush — a thrill

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