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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fall — the season
  19. bore — to tire
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. club — a group
  24. wave — of the sea

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