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

Word bank: racket · lie · deal · present · foot · net · field · cue

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. deal — to handle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cue — a signal
  8. field — a subject
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — for catching
  17. cue — a hint
  18. field — farmland
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — to recline
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. present — there
  24. cue — for pool

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