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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. firm — steady
  6. hand — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. firm — decided
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — a company
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — in a race
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pass — to spend time

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