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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — a hint
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. net — in sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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