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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. suit — to fit
  3. field — for sport
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. suit — in cards
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — a group
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bat — for baseball

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