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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. field — for sport
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — to protest
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. object — an aim
  19. press — newspapers
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. field — a subject
  24. mate — a partner

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