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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. field — for sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. field — a subject
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. tube — a container
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. field — farmland
  24. sharp — clever

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