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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. bark — a dog's sound
  3. land — a country
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. current — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. land — to come down
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. land — ground
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hand — help
  24. cue — for pool

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