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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. last — to go on
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. last — finally
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — a permit
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. charge — in control
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. last — final
  24. field — farmland

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