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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cue — for pool
  6. club — for golf
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. field — a subject
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. field — for sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. field — farmland
  18. club — for dancing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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