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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. last — finally
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. field — for sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. last — to go on
  14. snap — to click
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. field — farmland
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. last — final
  19. ball — a great time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — a price
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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