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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — a subject
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. field — for sport
  15. chair — a leader
  16. field — farmland
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. season — in sport
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — a list
  24. straw — a straw man

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