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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. field — a subject
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — a signal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stand — to bear
  9. field — farmland
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spell — magic
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. swing — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. field — 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