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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — government
  8. fine — high quality
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rule — a law
  13. fine — all right
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. game — a match
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. march — the month
  22. land — ground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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