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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. court — for sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — a song
  9. court — of a king
  10. track — a path
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — farmland
  13. court — of law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — lets stay

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