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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: field · fan · stick · court · mine · nail · bowl · cue

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. field — a subject
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. court — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — of a king
  19. cue — a signal
  20. court — of law
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. field — for sport

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