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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — all right
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. swing — to play on
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. swing — music

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