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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. field — for sport

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