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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spring — the season
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — to rob
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mug — a face
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pop — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pop — to visit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spring — of water
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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