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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. field — farmland
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cue — a hint
  13. field — for sport
  14. scale — size or range
  15. swing — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. field — a subject
  20. rest — a break
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cue — for pool

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