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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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. rest — what's left
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. court — of a king
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. field — farmland
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. deal — a big deal

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