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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: pit · cap · leaves · tear · bay · arm · game · club

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. club — for dancing
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — of ice
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cap — a lid
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pit — in a race
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. club — a group

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