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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — farmland
  14. scale — size or range
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — of law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. court — of a king
  23. field — a subject
  24. court — for sport

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