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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — for sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stand — to bear
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bore — to drill
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. ball — a dance
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — for a lock
  21. charge — a price
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. key — in music

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