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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. field — farmland
  3. cue — for pool
  4. net — in sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. capital — money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. net — after costs
  11. capital — a city
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — clothes
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cue — a signal
  20. field — a subject
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bank — of a river
  24. field — for sport

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