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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spell — letters
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. swing — in golf
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. toast — bread
  9. swing — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — magic
  15. swing — to play on
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — a short time
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. suit — clothes

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