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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pop — soda
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — the fish
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. field — for sport
  14. key — for a lock
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pop — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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