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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — for paper
  9. key — in music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cue — a hint
  16. deal — to handle
  17. clip — a video
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cue — a signal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lean — thin

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