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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — a phone
  9. field — farmland
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rule — government
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rule — a law
  24. fan — a supporter

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