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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. club — for golf
  8. field — farmland
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. club — a group
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. present — there
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. field — a subject
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. present — the time now
  24. field — for sport

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