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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. field — a subject
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. snap — to click
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. field — for sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. season — of the year
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a great time
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — in sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cap — a hat

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