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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. field — farmland
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. last — finally
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. last — to go on
  12. mug — a cup
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. content — happy
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. last — final
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mouse — the animal

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