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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — a leader
  3. content — happy
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. content — the amount
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. degree — an amount

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