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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. field — a subject
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a hole
  21. face — to confront
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — a hint

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