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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. staff — a stick
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a line
  7. object — an aim
  8. staff — employees
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. staff — employees
  12. field — a subject
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — a thing
  15. field — farmland
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. field — for sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — to protest
  24. chair — to sit on

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