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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 116 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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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: bay · field · court · rock · bound · spell · sharp · deal

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. field — farmland
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — of law
  9. bound — certain
  10. field — for sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rock — music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. field — a subject
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — a stone
  23. court — of a king
  24. bound — tied together

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