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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 116 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. field — a subject
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. firm — decided
  15. march — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cue — a signal
  18. field — farmland
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. tube — the underground
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a hint

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