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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. swing — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cell — in biology
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cue — for pool
  22. court — for sport
  23. cell — a phone
  24. court — of a king

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