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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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. present — the time now
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — after costs
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fine — all right
  17. kid — to tease
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — child
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — for catching

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