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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — farmland
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. field — a subject
  9. net — in sport
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bank — of a river
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — after costs
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — for money

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