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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 116 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: field · season · pitcher · bulb · cue · drill · stand · chip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cue — a hint
  3. season — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. field — for sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — for pool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. season — of the year
  18. drill — army training
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cue — a signal

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