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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a word
  4. march — the month
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ground — the earth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. root — the cause
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. march — music
  20. field — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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