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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. root — the cause
  5. field — farmland
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — a box
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. field — a subject
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — to spend time

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