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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. field — a subject
  3. root — of a word
  4. field — for sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cue — a hint
  8. field — farmland
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. root — the cause

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