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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bore — to drill
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. field — for sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. field — farmland
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitch — completely
  23. field — a subject
  24. deal — to handle

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