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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · bay · bass · key · lean · mug · field · staff

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. key — for a lock
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — a subject
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. field — farmland
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bass — low music
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — in music
  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