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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. bark — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. game — a match
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. band — a ring
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bark — to shout
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. racket — for tennis

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