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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. drill — army training
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pound — a weight
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. clip — a video
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — a stone
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rock — music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. game — wild animals

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