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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of a king
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. field — farmland
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. field — a subject
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a face
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — for sport

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