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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — to go on
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spring — the season
  7. current — electric
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. last — finally
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. last — final
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. craft — a skill
  23. current — of water
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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