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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. deal — to handle
  3. field — for sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — magic
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. field — farmland
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — letters

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