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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — farmland
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. content — happy
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. field — for sport
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — a subject
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  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