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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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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. club — a group
  3. present — the time now
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — a hint
  7. club — for golf
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. club — for dancing
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cap — a lid
  14. game — a match
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cap — a hat
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — thin
  23. present — there
  24. lean — to bend

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