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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a song
  3. court — of law
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. snap — to click
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. court — of a king
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. perch — the fish
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — a path

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