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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. date — the fruit
  7. field — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. charge — in control
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — farmland
  17. game — wild animals
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — electricity
  23. game — a match
  24. ball — a dance

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