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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. field — for sport
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ground — a position
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — a signal
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — in control
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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