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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. field — for sport
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rock — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — a subject
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. swing — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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