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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — a trail
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — for pool
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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