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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: ground · bass · cabinet · leaves · field · clip · cap · bay

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — a lid
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — a position
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — a subject
  17. clip — a video
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. field — farmland
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — for sport
  24. cap — a hat

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