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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. file — a line of people
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bay — a horse colour

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