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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. 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. fine — a penalty
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — a subject
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. race — a contest
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kid — to tease
  8. field — farmland
  9. kid — child
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — all right
  12. race — the arms race
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. race — humankind
  18. 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