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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. track — a song
  3. field — farmland
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. field — a subject
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — a stone

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