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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. club — a group
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chest — of your body
  10. club — for golf
  11. key — for a lock
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. key — in music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chest — a box
  17. content — happy
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. key — the most important part

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