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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. field — a subject
  3. bound — tied together
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. field — for sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. cue — for pool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — farmland
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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