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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — for sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. march — the month
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fine — all right
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to confront
  14. cue — a signal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. field — a subject
  19. face — part of the head
  20. kid — child
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. face — to point toward
  23. march — music
  24. field — farmland

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