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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mine — for digging
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — a permit
  8. track — a song
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. press — a publisher
  13. drill — army training
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ground — a position
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stand — to bear
  19. drill — the tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stand — on your feet

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