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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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. mine — for digging
  3. snap — to click
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. land — a country
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cue — a signal
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — ground

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