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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — a hint
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — the animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. current — of water
  11. club — for golf
  12. cue — a signal
  13. club — a group
  14. court — of law
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — happening now
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — for sport
  22. cell — in biology
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. deal — to handle

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