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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — a match
  7. field — for sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. field — farmland
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. field — a subject
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cell — in a prison

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