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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. charge — in control
  14. cue — a hint
  15. charge — a price
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tube — a container
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. field — a subject
  23. dip — to sink
  24. spell — letters

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