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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. rule — a law
  6. field — farmland
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — government
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. field — a subject
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ball — a dance
  18. scale — in music
  19. season — of the year
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. safe — a strongbox

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