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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. root — the cause
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — of a word
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. kid — child
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. field — a subject
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rush — hurry
  23. field — farmland
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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