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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — a subject
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. field — for sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. foot — a measure
  19. field — farmland
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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