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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — high quality
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. face — to confront
  9. fine — all right
  10. face — to point toward
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. field — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. face — part of the head
  22. root — of a word
  23. field — a subject
  24. root — of a plant

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