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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. swing — music
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mate — to breed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mate — a friend
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ground — crushed
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. perch — the fish
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mate — a partner
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chip — to eat

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