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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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. game — a match
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lean — thin
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — ground
  18. game — wild animals
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lean — to rest against

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