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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spell — magic
  3. foot — a measure
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spell — letters
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — part of the head
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — to confront
  15. bass — low music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. staff — a stick
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — employees
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to point toward

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