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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chest — a box
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. staff — a stick
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. field — farmland
  10. season — in sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — a subject
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chest — of your body
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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