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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. field — farmland
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cue — a signal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. field — a subject
  9. cap — of ice
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cap — a lid
  12. snap — to click
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. tube — the underground
  18. field — for sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. cue — a hint

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