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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — steady
  15. toast — bread
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cap — a lid

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