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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — money
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mine — for digging
  20. capital — a city
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — for a hammer

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