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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wake — a trail
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — a line
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cap — of ice
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. field — farmland
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. field — for sport
  19. row — to paddle
  20. field — a subject
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. season — of the year

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