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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. field — for sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. court — of a king
  5. mug — to rob
  6. field — farmland
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. court — of law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chest — a box
  22. field — a subject
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mug — a face

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