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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. field — farmland
  3. content — happy
  4. face — part of the head
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. content — the amount
  8. face — to confront
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — for sport
  18. charge — a price
  19. key — the most important part
  20. field — a subject
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bank — of a river

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