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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a tool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. club — for golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. file — a document
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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