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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: rest · field · stick · bay · game · mug · hand · mark

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mug — a cup
  4. field — farmland
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — help
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. field — a subject
  10. rest — a break
  11. field — for sport
  12. hand — in cards
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mug — a face
  22. mark — a grade
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — part of the body

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