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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. drill — a practice
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pop — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — a loud noise

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