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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cue — a signal
  9. craft — boats
  10. foot — a measure
  11. craft — a skill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. content — happy
  23. field — a subject
  24. cue — a hint

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