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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. snap — to click
  8. wind — moving air
  9. court — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. cue — a hint
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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