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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. race — a contest
  10. bound — certain
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. field — for sport
  15. fine — all right
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. race — the arms race
  20. field — a subject
  21. bound — obliged
  22. race — humankind
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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