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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. field — for sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. row — a line
  7. roll — a cake
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mine — for digging
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — farmland
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. roll — a list

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