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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. field — a subject
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. board — a committee
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. object — a thing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  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