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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. plane — a tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. march — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. march — the month
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. march — the month
  20. field — for sport
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. plane — in geometry

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