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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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