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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — for pool
  7. land — ground
  8. track — to keep track
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rest — a break
  11. land — a country
  12. field — for sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. key — in music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a signal
  19. field — a subject
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — a song
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — a path
  24. stand — to bear

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