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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — child
  6. object — to protest
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. object — an aim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. plane — a tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. kid — to tease
  16. court — of a king
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of law

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