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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. field — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. suit — in cards
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. field — farmland
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. can — a tin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. field — a subject
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. net — in 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