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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. face — to confront
  6. cue — for pool
  7. kid — to tease
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pop — soda
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kid — child
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pop — music

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