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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. field — a subject
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — a signal
  5. shower — rain
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. field — for sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — farmland
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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