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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. scale — size or range
  4. can — to be able to
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. field — a subject
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — farmland
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — in music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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