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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — a series
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — boats
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. field — for sport
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — hasty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bowl — a football final

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