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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — a song
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. march — music
  10. land — to come down
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. ball — a great time
  14. field — farmland
  15. land — ground
  16. track — a path
  17. land — a country
  18. field — for sport
  19. track — to keep track
  20. field — a subject
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ball — a dance
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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