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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. race — humankind
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mark — a trace
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. race — a contest
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — the animal

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