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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.

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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: mug · board · leaves · stick · jam · field · mine · bay

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — a committee
  8. field — a subject
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mug — a cup
  20. field — for sport
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — an explosive

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