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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cue — a signal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. drill — the tool
  8. field — farmland
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — a subject
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cue — for pool
  24. drill — army training

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