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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — of ice
  6. field — a subject
  7. cap — a hat
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. field — for sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. field — farmland
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rock — music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rock — a stone

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