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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. field — a subject
  3. charge — in control
  4. root — of a word
  5. cue — for pool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — farmland
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — all right
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fine — high quality
  15. charge — a price
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. root — the cause
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. root — of a plant
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cue — a signal

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