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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. drill — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. court — for sport
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. drill — army training
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. cue — a signal

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