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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. field — for sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. swing — in golf
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — for catching

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