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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. field — farmland
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. scale — size or range
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. file — a line of people
  10. field — a subject
  11. file — a tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. foot — a measure

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