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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chip — for betting
  3. field — for sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — to tire
  9. field — farmland
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bore — to drill
  14. field — a subject
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — the fish
  24. game — wild animals

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