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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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. club — for dancing
  3. snap — to click
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. field — for sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. club — a group
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. club — for golf
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mine — for digging
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — a monarch

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