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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. capital — a city
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mate — a friend
  8. season — of the year
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. mate — a partner
  14. craft — boats
  15. field — a subject
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mate — to breed
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. capital — money
  24. fine — all right

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