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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ground — a position
  5. ball — a great time
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ball — a dance
  8. saw — the tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — the sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ground — the earth
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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