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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ground — crushed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a match
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — the earth
  20. swing — music
  21. ground — a position
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cue — a signal
  24. swing — in golf

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