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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — farmland
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cue — a signal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — for pool

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