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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: field · stick · saw · cue · season · can · shower · foot

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. field — farmland
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. shower — rain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. field — for sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — in sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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