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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. field — for sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. key — for a lock
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — in music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. field — a subject
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rest — a break
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — what's left

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