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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. press — to push
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — a thing
  6. press — a publisher
  7. field — a subject
  8. land — a country
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — to come down
  12. object — an aim
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — farmland
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — ground
  22. rock — music
  23. field — for sport
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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