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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.

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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. net — for catching
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. object — an aim
  9. cap — of ice
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — all right
  12. charge — a price
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cap — a lid
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. net — after costs
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. field — a subject
  23. cue — for pool
  24. object — a thing

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