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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — steady
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. court — of law
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — the season
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. firm — a company
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — decided
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fall — to drop
  24. court — of a king

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