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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. court — of law
  3. cue — a hint
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — a signal
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. stem — to come from
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. court — for sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — to dunk

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