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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cue — for pool
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. cue — a signal
  12. field — for sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — goods
  22. roll — a list
  23. bank — of a river
  24. roll — on a roll

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