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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. firm — a company
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cue — a signal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cue — for pool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fork — in a road
  22. firm — decided
  23. tear — from crying
  24. game — a match

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