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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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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: bound · wave · firm · face · mug · cue · field · game

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. game — a match
  3. face — part of the head
  4. firm — steady
  5. field — a subject
  6. bound — tied together
  7. field — farmland
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — to confront
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. field — for sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mug — to rob
  23. firm — a company
  24. game — a kind of play

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