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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bat — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cue — a hint
  8. key — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — in a race
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. staff — employees

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