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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — for sport
  6. race — a contest
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — humankind
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. toast — bread
  17. branch — a division
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. race — the arms race
  24. season — of the year

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