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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cue — a hint
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cap — a lid
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cue — for pool
  12. field — for sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — a hat
  17. field — farmland
  18. hide — to keep secret

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