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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kick — in football
  9. roll — a list
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cue — for pool

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