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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. field — a subject
  3. cue — for pool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. field — for sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — ground
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — to come down
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — farmland

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