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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. pitch — completely
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rash — a series
  10. field — farmland
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — a measure
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rash — hasty
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. season — of the year
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bay — a horse colour

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