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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — the time now
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — for a lock
  9. field — for sport
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — a subject
  24. present — a gift

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