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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. field — a subject
  5. court — of a king
  6. firm — decided
  7. cap — a lid
  8. firm — a company
  9. court — for sport
  10. field — for sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cap — of ice
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — steady
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — of law
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. present — the time now

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