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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. field — a subject
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — farmland
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spell — magic
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — letters
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — a trace

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