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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. field — a subject
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rule — government
  10. field — farmland
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — in cards
  14. field — for sport
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — for pool
  24. suit — to fit

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