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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a dance
  7. file — a document
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cue — a signal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. scale — in music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of law
  14. ball — a great time
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. court — for sport
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kid — child
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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