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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. can — a tin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. field — for sport
  8. track — a song
  9. board — to get on
  10. kid — child
  11. board — a committee
  12. present — a gift
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — a path
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — a subject
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — there

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