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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. chip — for betting
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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