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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mark — a grade
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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