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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: bay · wake · foot · field · swing · mate · mouse · hide

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. field — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. field — farmland
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. swing — music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — a subject
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — a friend

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