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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a dance
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. foot — a measure
  5. press — to push
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. club — a group
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. press — a publisher
  17. field — farmland
  18. press — newspapers
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — a tool
  24. club — for dancing

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