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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cue — a hint
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cue — a signal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a dance
  14. roll — a list
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. club — a group
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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