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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. drill — army training
  4. field — farmland
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. field — for sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. can — a tin
  13. pass — a permit
  14. scale — size or range
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — to breed
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. scale — in music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pass — to spend time

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