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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 120 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: stick · fine · cabinet · saw · cue · season · ball · field

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — a hint
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cue — a signal
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — of the year
  23. field — farmland
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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