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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wake — a trail
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a dance
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — clothes
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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