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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. leaves — to go away
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — in music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pop — soda

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