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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mouse — for a computer

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