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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ball — a dance
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — there
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — the vegetable

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