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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. field — for sport
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — in a road
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — a subject
  24. deal — a big deal

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