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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cue — a hint
  3. object — an aim
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — rain
  9. object — to protest
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. field — for sport
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. object — a thing
  23. field — farmland
  24. wind — to turn a key

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