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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. club — a group
  4. cue — for pool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. clip — to cut
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — in music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. clip — a video
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — for paper

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