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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — for pool
  5. track — a path
  6. field — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — a position
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — farmland
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — a subject
  16. ground — the earth
  17. firm — a company
  18. ground — crushed
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. track — a song

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