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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. field — for sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. field — a subject
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. shower — rain
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a hint
  24. field — farmland

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