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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. last — to go on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. field — farmland
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. last — finally
  21. file — a document
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — final
  24. bulb — for light

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