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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ground — a position
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ground — crushed
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — for digging

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