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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. court — of law
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bore — to tire
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. court — of a king
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bore — to drill

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