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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hand — help
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — for sport
  14. last — final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. suit — to fit
  18. field — farmland
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. suit — in cards

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