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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: dip · cap · game · field · spell · cell · fine · bay

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. field — a subject
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — of ice
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. game — a match
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — a hat
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — a penalty

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