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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. field — for sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. court — of a king
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — farmland
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — a subject
  17. season — in sport
  18. court — of law
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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