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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. chair — a professorship
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a ring
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. band — a music group
  11. chair — a leader
  12. land — a country
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. perch — the fish

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