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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — a hint
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mark — a trace
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pop — to visit
  24. straw — a straw man

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