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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. field — farmland
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pass — a permit
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mug — a face
  18. march — the month
  19. cap — a lid
  20. march — music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. field — for sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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