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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — for pool
  3. object — a thing
  4. present — a gift
  5. pit — in a race
  6. field — for sport
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cell — in biology
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. object — to protest
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cell — a phone
  20. present — there
  21. field — a subject
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. cue — a signal

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