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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. scale — in music
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish

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