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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — of the year
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — bread
  7. field — a subject
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — low music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. field — for sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mine — for digging
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bass — the fish
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — in sport

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