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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cue — a signal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bound — tied together
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — to handle
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. shower — rain
  24. patient — a sick person

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