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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. mate — a friend
  12. net — for catching
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. net — in sport
  22. march — music
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cue — a hint

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