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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — a signal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. swing — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. root — of a word
  12. kid — child
  13. root — the cause
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cue — a hint
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. root — of a plant

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