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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a hint
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rule — government
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rule — a law
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wound — an injury

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