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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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 — farmland
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — an aim
  9. firm — a company
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. object — to protest
  18. shower — rain
  19. field — for sport
  20. craft — boats
  21. firm — decided
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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