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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — to come down
  3. ground — the earth
  4. can — to be able to
  5. field — farmland
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. field — for sport
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bat — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. land — ground
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — a subject
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wake — a trail

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