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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. field — a subject
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. plane — a tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. capital — a city
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — a song

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