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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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. wind — moving air
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — a tin
  15. field — a subject
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. field — farmland
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. field — for sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. scale — size or range

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