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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. field — a subject
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mate — a partner
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. field — farmland
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. field — for sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cap — of ice
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mate — to breed

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