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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — for sport
  4. mate — a partner
  5. current — happening now
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. current — of water
  9. land — a country
  10. current — electric
  11. firm — steady
  12. mate — to breed
  13. land — ground
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rock — music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. field — farmland
  22. land — to come down
  23. court — for sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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