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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. last — to go on
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. last — final
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — for sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. last — finally
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — in a race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. field — farmland

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