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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. game — a match
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tube — a container
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cue — a signal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — a series
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. deal — a big deal

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