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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — farmland
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stem — to come from
  11. deal — to handle
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — a hint
  14. march — music
  15. field — a subject
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. game — wild animals
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. march — the month
  24. field — for sport

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