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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. present — a gift
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mark — a grade
  8. present — there
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. charge — a price
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. present — the time now
  24. roll — a list

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