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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: mark · bowl · bay · trunk · sharp · pound · safe · jam

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — a dish

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