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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — completely
  5. content — happy
  6. field — farmland
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. content — the amount
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fall — to drop

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