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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — for pool
  3. field — a subject
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cue — a signal
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. field — for sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. coach — a trainer

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