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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — farmland
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fine — high quality
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. field — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. march — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fine — all right
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — a trail
  24. saw — the tool

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