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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cue — a hint
  5. field — farmland
  6. present — a gift
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. present — there
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — letters
  24. present — the time now

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