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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bass — the fish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a document
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. net — after costs
  13. object — an aim
  14. file — a tool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. face — to point toward
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. object — a thing
  23. perch — for a bird
  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