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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — a series
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rash — hasty
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. chip — for betting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cue — a hint
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. can — a tin
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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