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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. field — a subject
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — the earth
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — size or range
  24. hide — to keep secret

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