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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. field — a subject
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. craft — boats
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. field — for sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. last — final
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wound — an injury

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