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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. field — a subject
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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