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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — final
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — for sport
  10. last — finally
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — for dancing
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for golf
  15. last — to go on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. club — a group
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. field — a subject
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cue — for pool

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