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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cold — an illness
  5. root — the cause
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cold — not warm
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — of a word
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mark — a trace

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