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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — to protest
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — letters
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — to push
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — a subject
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — newspapers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — a short time
  18. track — a path
  19. object — a thing
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — for sport
  23. press — a publisher
  24. spell — magic

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