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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. field — for sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. field — farmland
  5. spring — of water
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — a subject
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ball — a dance
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — in control
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spring — a coil
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a ring
  23. spring — the season
  24. charge — a price

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