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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: fine · mate · cue · last · field · mug · tube · perch

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — a partner
  8. last — final
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tube — a container
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — all right
  14. tube — the underground
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — to go on
  17. field — farmland
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — finally
  24. mug — a face

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