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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. current — happening now
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. current — electric
  5. mark — a trace
  6. kid — child
  7. field — for sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — a weight
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mark — a grade
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. field — farmland

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