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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — for sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. firm — steady
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mate — a partner
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lie — to recline
  19. field — a subject
  20. firm — decided
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mate — to breed

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