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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: cue · suit · snap · cell · pitcher · perch · field · key

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. field — farmland
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to click
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. suit — clothes
  14. field — a subject
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cue — for pool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cell — in biology

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