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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · racket · nail · sharp · cue · bulb · cap · field

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. field — farmland
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cap — of ice
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. field — a subject
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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