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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. field — farmland
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. content — happy
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — for sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — a subject
  15. pop — music
  16. content — the amount
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. face — to point toward
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. face — to confront
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — out of danger

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