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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — farmland
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spell — letters
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. field — for sport
  23. snap — to click
  24. stand — to bear

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