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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — for pool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. craft — boats
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cue — a signal

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