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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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Word bank
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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — for pool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. game — wild animals
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rest — a break
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mouse — the animal

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