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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cue — a hint
  8. sharp — clever
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — the season
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. field — a subject
  18. chip — to eat
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spring — a coil
  24. field — for sport

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