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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. season — of the year
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. squash — the sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. field — farmland
  13. scale — in music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. field — for sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. field — a subject
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. squash — the vegetable

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