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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. club — for golf
  3. field — for sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fine — all right
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — happy
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — a subject
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. kick — in football
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — a thrill

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