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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — the earth
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. toast — bread
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ground — a position
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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