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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a document
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. last — finally
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. last — to go on
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. last — final
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. field — a subject
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rock — music
  20. file — a tool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. nail — for a hammer

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