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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. field — farmland
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a grade
  5. net — in sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. field — for sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. staff — a stick
  14. race — humankind
  15. mate — to breed
  16. field — a subject
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ground — crushed
  19. race — a contest
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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