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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. field — for sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. field — farmland
  24. coach — a trainer

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