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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — for golf
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hand — help
  6. club — for dancing
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hand — in cards
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — a group
  18. rock — music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cue — a hint

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