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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 120 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. field — farmland
  8. cue — for pool
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. field — for sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — a signal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spell — letters
  21. capital — a city
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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