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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. track — a song
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. track — a path
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. craft — boats
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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