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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — the season
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a song
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cue — a signal
  11. object — to protest
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — an aim
  17. cue — a hint
  18. object — a thing
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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