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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — the fruit
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. field — a subject
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. field — for sport
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. field — farmland
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — a position

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