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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. field — for sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. spring — of water
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. key — in music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spring — the season
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — for a lock
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — a coil
  24. branch — of a tree

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