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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. field — farmland
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. field — for sport
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. charge — in control
  10. stock — goods
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — shares
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — rain
  24. safe — a strongbox

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