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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. content — happy
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — in control
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. content — the amount
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. charge — a price
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — electricity

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