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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: tube · row · file · field · cue · last · mate · bay

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — finally
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. file — a tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. field — for sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — a subject
  17. row — to paddle
  18. last — final
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. last — to go on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. tube — the underground
  23. row — a line
  24. file — a document

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