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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spell — letters
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spell — magic
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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