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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. club — for dancing
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. land — to come down
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — ground
  9. club — for golf
  10. spell — letters
  11. field — farmland
  12. club — a group
  13. present — there
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. field — for sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. dip — to sink
  20. track — a path
  21. present — the time now
  22. spell — magic
  23. land — a country
  24. track — to keep track

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