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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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — clothes
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — of a river
  8. staff — employees
  9. ground — a position
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ground — the earth
  13. field — a subject
  14. cue — a signal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — farmland
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. staff — a stick
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bank — for money

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