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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a face
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. date — the fruit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — army training
  14. rest — a break
  15. suit — to fit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mug — to rob

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