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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. season — in sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. field — for sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. field — a subject
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — of the year
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pound — a weight
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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