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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. club — for golf
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — a group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fork — in a road
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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