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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pop — soda
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. face — part of the head
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. swing — to play on

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