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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fine — all right
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rash — a series
  10. track — a path
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. drill — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. track — a song
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — of a plant

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