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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — a trace
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — for sport
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fall — the season
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mug — a face
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. craft — a skill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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