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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kid — to tease
  7. field — farmland
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. suit — to fit
  13. field — a subject
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. toast — the most admired

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