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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — for sport
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — for pool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mug — a face
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of law
  16. march — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — to rob
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — a 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