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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 116 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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. firm — steady
  11. fine — all right
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — a company
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. race — humankind
  20. hand — help
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. race — a contest
  24. firm — decided

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