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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — final
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. club — a group
  13. bore — to tire
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. last — to go on
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — finally
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. club — for golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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