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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — for sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — for pool
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. cue — a hint
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spring — of water
  22. pit — a hole
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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