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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — farmland
  6. capital — money
  7. field — a subject
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — a city
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rule — a law
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rule — government
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ball — a great time

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