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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: field · pop · foot · bay · deal · mug · rock · wake

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — a face
  5. pop — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. field — for sport
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rock — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. field — farmland
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. field — a subject
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rock — to move gently

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