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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: stick · racket · content · rush · dip · field · cue · bear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — farmland
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cue — for pool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — for sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — the amount
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. content — happy
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bear — to put up with

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