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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: season · charge · lie · rush · spring · cue · court · field

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cue — for pool
  4. field — for sport
  5. spring — of water
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spring — the season
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — hurry
  18. season — in sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. court — of a king
  24. field — farmland

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