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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — of ice
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — for sport
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — farmland
  24. cap — a lid

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