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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cue — for pool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. field — for sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — the underground

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