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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. field — for sport
  3. chest — a box
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chest — of your body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. field — farmland
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. charge — in control
  16. rock — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — a price
  20. toast — bread
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rock — a stone
  24. chest — of your body

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