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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · field · toast · content · bowl · firm · mouse · mine

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. content — the amount
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. field — farmland
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — a subject
  13. firm — a company
  14. content — happy
  15. firm — decided
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mine — for digging
  18. firm — steady
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — for a computer

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