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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 120 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. game — wild animals
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — magic
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. court — of a king
  20. spell — letters
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a hint
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — to handle

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