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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — farmland
  8. roll — a list
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — government
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. charge — electricity
  16. field — for sport
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rule — a law
  24. nail — for a hammer

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