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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rock — music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. game — wild animals
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. game — a match
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. foot — a measure
  18. content — happy
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. content — the amount
  21. bat — the animal
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. track — to keep track

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