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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. march — music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. march — the month
  14. field — a subject
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. field — for sport
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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