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

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. ground — crushed
  9. field — for sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ground — a position
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. field — farmland
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — the earth

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