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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — for sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. present — the time now
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — a gift
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. present — there
  24. bear — the animal

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