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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — the tool
  3. field — for sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. field — a subject
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to point toward
  16. field — farmland
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. date — the fruit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — to go away

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