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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cell — in biology
  3. field — farmland
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. field — a subject
  6. chest — a box
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. field — for sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chest — of your body

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