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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rock — a stone
  3. row — a line
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — for sport
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. net — in sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. field — farmland
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — for catching
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — after costs
  22. cap — of ice
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pound — a weight

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