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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. field — farmland
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. club — a group
  6. cue — for pool
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — a hint
  10. club — for golf
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. field — a subject
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. court — for sport

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