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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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. ground — the earth
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — a face
  7. ground — crushed
  8. roll — a list
  9. mug — a cup
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitch — completely
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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