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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — a company
  5. pass — a permit
  6. content — happy
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. capital — a city
  9. content — the amount
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — a subject
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. toast — bread
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. field — farmland
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mine — for digging
  24. firm — steady

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