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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 116 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fork — in a road
  11. season — of the year
  12. field — farmland
  13. firm — a company
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. field — a subject
  17. firm — decided
  18. field — for sport
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — steady

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