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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — of a king
  4. suit — to fit
  5. field — for sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. board — to get on
  8. deal — to handle
  9. court — of law
  10. field — a subject
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. court — for sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. bound — certain
  24. field — farmland

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