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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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. club — for golf
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — help
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. toast — bread
  10. wake — a trail
  11. deal — to handle
  12. club — a group
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bore — to drill
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bore — gave birth

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