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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. game — a match
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. field — farmland
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. safe — out of danger

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