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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. scale — in music
  3. field — farmland
  4. board — to get on
  5. object — to protest
  6. press — to push
  7. scale — size or range
  8. board — a committee
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. object — an aim
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — to recline
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — 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