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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. field — a subject
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — letters
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cue — a signal
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a hint
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — farmland
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spell — magic

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