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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — a line
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — to handle
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. field — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — to get on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. field — farmland

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