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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. field — for sport
  7. present — there
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. field — a subject
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. can — a tin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — a tin
  22. field — farmland
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — to be able to

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