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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — high quality
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fine — all right
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chest — a box
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cue — a hint

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