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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. court — of a king
  5. rock — music
  6. field — for sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — a subject
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — in sport
  12. court — of law
  13. season — of the year
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — for sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — a straw man

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