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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. field — a subject
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spring — of water
  10. field — for sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spring — a coil
  15. tube — a container
  16. cue — a signal
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. field — farmland
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — a price
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cue — for pool

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