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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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. field — for sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spring — of water
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spring — the season
  23. root — of a word
  24. last — finally

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