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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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468
Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. field — a subject
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — farmland
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. court — of a king
  23. field — for sport
  24. court — for sport

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