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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. firm — steady
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — a partner
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rule — government
  10. mate — a friend
  11. firm — decided
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rule — a law
  14. firm — a company
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — in music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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