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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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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: cabinet · bay · pit · rock · pound · field · land · snap

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — in a race
  9. field — farmland
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. field — for sport

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