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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rock — music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. field — a subject
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — a signal
  18. field — farmland
  19. charge — in control
  20. field — for sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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