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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a document
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a line of people
  17. field — a subject
  18. file — a tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rock — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chair — to sit on

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