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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — farmland
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — boats
  11. field — a subject
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — low music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. object — an aim
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lean — thin
  23. bass — the instrument
  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