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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kid — to tease
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — to point toward
  5. kid — child
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — music
  12. file — a tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to confront
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. court — for sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. court — of law
  21. cue — a signal
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. firm — decided

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