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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 124 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cold — an illness
  10. game — a match
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cold — not warm
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. arm — part of the body

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