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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. roll — a list
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — farmland
  8. kid — child
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — a subject
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. roll — a cake
  16. field — for sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. key — in music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pass — a permit

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