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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — for sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spell — letters
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. field — a subject
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. content — happy
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. content — the amount
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — a tool
  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