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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pass — a permit
  3. field — for sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — after costs
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cue — a signal
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — music
  18. field — farmland
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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