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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. field — farmland
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — a stone
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — music
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — for sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — for tennis

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