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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 124 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. field — a subject
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. field — farmland
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. foot — a measure
  15. perch — the fish
  16. field — for sport
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cap — a lid

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