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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. field — a subject
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. field — for sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. field — farmland
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mate — a friend
  24. jam — in traffic

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