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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 124 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — of water
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spring — the season
  17. ball — a dance
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stand — to bear
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chip — to eat
  24. date — the fruit

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