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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: rock · clip · mouse · squash · season · field · bay · row

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. row — to paddle
  3. squash — the sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. field — a subject
  6. clip — for paper
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. season — of the year
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. clip — a video
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. season — in sport
  24. rock — 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