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

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. firm — decided
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — boats
  6. charge — in control
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — electricity
  10. field — farmland
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — a subject
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — a company
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — a price

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