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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — a country
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — a price
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to tire
  24. field — farmland

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