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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — in sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kid — child
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — the fruit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. net — for catching
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — after costs
  17. club — for golf
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — for pool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mate — a friend

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