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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · spell · bay · cabinet · fork · mine · last · club

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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. firm — steady
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. spell — letters
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spell — magic
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mine — for digging
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. firm — a company
  19. last — final
  20. firm — decided
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — in a road
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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