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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tube — a container
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. field — a subject
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. season — of the year
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. season — in sport

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