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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cold — an illness
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bound — tied together
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — all right
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bound — certain
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — a subject

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