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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cue — a hint
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cue — a signal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — exactly

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