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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. court — of law
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. object — an aim
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. object — a thing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of a king
  12. suit — to fit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fall — the season
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — for sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. object — to protest
  24. fall — to drop

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