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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. field — a subject
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — farmland
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. field — for sport

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