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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — in a race
  5. season — of the year
  6. cue — a signal
  7. field — a subject
  8. season — in sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — the most important part

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