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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — a series
  9. can — a tin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a hint
  14. can — a tin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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