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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. craft — a skill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wind — moving air
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. field — a subject
  17. cue — a signal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — music
  22. field — farmland
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. squash — to crush

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