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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 124 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. field — for sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — a subject
  8. cue — a signal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cue — for pool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. race — humankind
  22. toast — bread
  23. rock — music
  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