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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. field — farmland
  8. band — a music group
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. season — of the year
  14. field — a subject
  15. band — a ring
  16. field — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. capital — money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. court — for sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — in sport
  24. court — of law

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