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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spell — magic
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bound — certain
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cue — a signal
  15. branch — a division
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tear — to rip
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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