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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. field — a subject
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fall — the season
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — to fit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. field — farmland
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chip — to eat
  20. court — of law
  21. field — for sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of a king

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