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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · game · lie · charge · field · object · date · bear

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. field — farmland
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — an aim
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — to protest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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