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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. field — for sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. firm — steady
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. firm — decided
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — for light
  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