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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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. last — finally
  3. row — a line
  4. last — final
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — a group
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. club — for dancing
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — to go on
  13. net — after costs
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — for golf
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — for catching
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ground — a position

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