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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — a price
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. field — a subject
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mug — a face
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mug — to rob
  18. charge — electricity
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. charge — in control
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bowl — to roll

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