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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — in football
  8. track — a song
  9. row — a line
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cue — a hint
  16. track — to keep track
  17. row — to paddle
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cue — a signal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — a supporter

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