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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — farmland
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. field — for sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. can — a tin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. can — a tin

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