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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. field — a subject
  7. last — to go on
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. field — for sport
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. last — finally
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — final
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. prune — to trim
  22. field — farmland
  23. kick — in football
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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