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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — farmland
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — a subject
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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