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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spring — the season
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. field — farmland
  15. spring — of water
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mate — to breed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — a subject
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — a thrill

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