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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chest — a box
  10. ball — a dance
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. chest — of your body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. nail — for a hammer

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