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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. field — farmland
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — a signal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. swing — music
  11. field — for sport
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. field — a subject
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pop — soda
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — a face

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