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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — a song
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cap — of ice
  9. land — a country
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. content — happy
  15. land — to come down
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. land — ground
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a lid

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