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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mug — a cup
  3. present — a gift
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. club — a group
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. key — in music
  14. mug — a face
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mug — to rob
  17. club — for dancing
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cue — a signal
  20. club — for golf
  21. cue — for pool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — a container
  24. present — the time now

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