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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — for sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — farmland
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cap — a lid
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person

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