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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — of law
  8. ground — the earth
  9. field — farmland
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ball — a great time
  16. craft — boats
  17. ball — a dance
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. field — for sport
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — a horse colour

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