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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. court — of law
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a committee
  12. tear — from crying
  13. court — for sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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