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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. field — for sport
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — farmland
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. field — a subject
  14. ball — a great time
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fan — a supporter

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