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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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. bank — of a river
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ground — a position
  24. sharp — with an edge

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