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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — the season
  8. snap — to click
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — a coil
  13. club — a group
  14. pit — a hole
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — for pool
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spring — of water

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