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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hand — help
  7. mate — to breed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — the cause
  10. game — a match
  11. charge — electricity
  12. game — wild animals
  13. root — of a word
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. charge — in control
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — of a plant

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