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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. current — of water
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — electric
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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