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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chest — a box
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. row — a line
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. row — to paddle
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — of your body
  22. scale — size or range
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chest — of your body

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