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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — farmland
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a lid
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — of ice
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. field — a subject
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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