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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. field — a subject
  4. scale — in music
  5. field — for sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — a series
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. field — farmland
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — the animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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