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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: racket · deal · wound · stick · key · bowl · bay · field

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — farmland
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. key — in music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — to handle
  15. field — for sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — the most important part
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — a subject
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — a football final

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