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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — for sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. firm — decided
  5. rock — a stone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — steady
  10. court — of law
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — of a king
  22. cue — a signal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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