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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ground — the earth
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ground — a position
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. field — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — farmland
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  24. bowl — to roll

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