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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kid — child
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mark — a grade
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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