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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. march — the month
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. march — music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — of the year
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pound — a weight
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — high quality
  23. game — a match
  24. fine — all right

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