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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — for sport
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. content — the amount
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. field — farmland
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — happy
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — a series
  23. ground — a position
  24. chair — a professorship

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