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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. field — for sport
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — electricity
  17. field — farmland
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pit — in a race
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — a price

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