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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. field — a subject
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — for sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — a face
  11. net — in sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rule — government
  16. mug — to rob
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — a law
  20. key — in music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. field — farmland
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — to rule out

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