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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. field — for sport
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. lean — thin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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