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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. field — farmland
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bark — to shout
  10. track — a song
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. shower — rain
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — to keep track
  16. field — for sport
  17. shower — to wash
  18. field — a subject
  19. track — a path
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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