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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ground — a position
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hand — help
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cue — a hint
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group

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