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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — in football
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — a subject
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cue — a hint
  20. foot — a measure
  21. field — for sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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