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

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — to go on
  4. field — farmland
  5. ball — a dance
  6. last — finally
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ball — a great time
  10. field — for sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — final
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a round shape

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