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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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. cell — in biology
  4. field — farmland
  5. game — a match
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — a gift
  9. suit — clothes
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cell — a phone
  12. field — a subject
  13. court — for sport
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — wild animals
  16. present — the time now
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — there

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