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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — final
  5. fine — high quality
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — to go on
  14. can — a tin
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — of water
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — finally
  24. fine — a penalty

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