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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cue — a signal
  8. band — a ring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a music group
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bat — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. row — a line
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fork — a garden tool

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