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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. swing — in golf
  8. field — a subject
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. land — to come down
  11. field — for sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — ground
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. field — farmland
  22. hand — help
  23. swing — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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