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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fall — to drop
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. swing — to play on
  9. charge — a price
  10. field — farmland
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. swing — music
  14. toast — bread
  15. charge — electricity
  16. field — for sport
  17. swing — in golf
  18. row — a line
  19. charge — in control
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. row — to paddle
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fall — the season
  24. toast — the most admired

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