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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — farmland
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fork — in a road
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — a subject
  11. snap — to click
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — a law
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rule — government
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stand — to bear
  23. field — for sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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