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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lean — thin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — a position
  6. field — a subject
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ground — the earth
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — size or range
  19. staff — a stick
  20. field — for sport
  21. foot — a measure
  22. scale — in music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. scale — for weighing

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