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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. field — a subject
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — decided
  7. cue — a signal
  8. drill — army training
  9. land — a country
  10. cue — for pool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. field — farmland
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — steady
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — the tool
  22. land — ground
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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