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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — finally
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — to handle
  11. field — a subject
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — letters
  14. last — final
  15. spring — the season
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — magic
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — for sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — of water

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