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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. row — a line
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — for sport
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. wave — with your hand

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