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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. spell — a short time
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. field — for sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. field — a subject
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — magic
  20. cue — a hint
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — for pool
  24. deal — an agreement

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