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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — farmland
  10. swing — music
  11. spring — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — a weight
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. field — a subject
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. swing — to play on

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