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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ground — a position
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. capital — a city
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rush — hurry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ground — crushed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — the fish
  19. capital — money
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pound — for dogs

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