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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. field — a subject
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. season — in sport
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. field — for sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. face — to confront
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. season — to add flavour

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