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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. court — for sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — high quality
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of law
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — of a king
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. drill — the tool
  16. field — farmland
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. scale — in music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pass — to spend time

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