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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — child
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline

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