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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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. game — wild animals
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — a permit
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. date — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — a match
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — for tennis

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