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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 124 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. field — farmland
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. field — for sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. cue — for pool
  20. field — a subject
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bulb — for light

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