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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. field — a subject
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — gave birth

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