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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. field — farmland
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cue — a signal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. field — for sport
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. tube — a container
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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