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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cell — in biology
  5. field — farmland
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bass — the fish
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cell — a phone

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