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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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. hand — part of the body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. scale — in music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hand — help
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. content — the amount

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