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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. last — to go on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. field — a subject
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a great time
  14. content — the amount
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ball — a dance
  20. suit — to fit
  21. field — farmland
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cell — a phone
  24. content — happy

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