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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — government
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. court — of a king
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — of law
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. court — for sport
  24. rule — a law

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