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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — a practice
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — army training
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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