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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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. cell — in a prison
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — for golf
  5. cell — a phone
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fork — a garden tool

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