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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — thin
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — for sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. present — there
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cue — a signal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. field — a subject
  24. cue — a hint

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