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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stock — goods
  11. field — for sport
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stock — shares
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — low music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — to put up with

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