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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. branch — a division
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cap — a hat
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chest — of your body
  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