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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: wave · kick · cue · mouse · season · stick · field · fan

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — a subject
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — for sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — a signal
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — in sport

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