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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. root — the cause
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rule — government
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to click
  16. root — of a word
  17. rush — hurry
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. date — on the calendar

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