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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — in sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. field — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — all right
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mate — to breed
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. season — of the year
  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