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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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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. court — of law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. court — of a king
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. charge — in control
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. field — farmland
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wake — before a funeral

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