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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — ground
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — a country
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cell — a phone
  11. game — wild animals
  12. race — humankind
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — to fit
  15. land — to come down
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tear — from crying
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tear — to rip
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. race — a contest
  24. suit — clothes

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