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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cue — for pool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chest — a box
  24. field — a subject

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