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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kid — to tease
  3. club — for golf
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. field — for sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. kid — child
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — a group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — farmland
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — shares

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