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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. last — finally
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. field — farmland
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — music
  9. last — final
  10. rash — hasty
  11. present — a gift
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. field — for sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. last — to go on
  17. present — there
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rash — a series
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. field — a subject
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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