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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cold — not warm
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. row — a line
  8. net — in sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. scale — in music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. suit — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cold — an illness
  19. net — for catching
  20. row — to paddle
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a hint
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. scale — size or range

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