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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. court — of a king
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. court — for sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. field — farmland
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. charge — a price
  15. field — for sport
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. charge — in control
  20. court — of law
  21. cue — for pool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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