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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bat — the animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — a division
  12. band — a ring
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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