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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — the time now
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — farmland
  11. spell — magic
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — a match
  14. rest — a break
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — there
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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