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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. court — of law
  10. root — the cause
  11. court — of a king
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — of a word
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. field — a subject
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. court — for sport
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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