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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — for sport
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a great time
  6. field — a subject
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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