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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. field — a subject
  4. current — of water
  5. game — wild animals
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. current — electric
  9. root — of a word
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rock — music
  14. root — the cause
  15. game — a match
  16. field — farmland
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ball — a dance

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