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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lean — to bend
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bass — low music
  8. object — a thing
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. field — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — farmland
  15. object — to protest
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — the fish
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lean — thin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — an aim

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