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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. charge — in control
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mark — a trace
  5. field — a subject
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. shower — rain
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pass — a permit
  14. shower — to wash
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. kid — child
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. charge — a price
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. capital — a city

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