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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. band — a music group
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a ring
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mug — a face
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kick — in football
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mug — a cup
  17. field — farmland
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. field — for sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. field — a subject

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