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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. field — for sport
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spell — magic
  17. field — farmland
  18. spell — a short time
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rash — a series
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mate — a friend
  24. snap — to click

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