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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a dance
  4. field — for sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a great time
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. field — a subject
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mark — a trace
  17. field — farmland
  18. season — of the year
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. key — in music

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