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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — for pool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. craft — boats
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mate — a partner
  24. craft — a skill

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