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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. cue — a hint
  4. present — there
  5. roll — a list
  6. firm — a company
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — decided
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. present — the time now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — steady
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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