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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wake — a trail
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. field — farmland
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. field — for sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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