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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rule — a law
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bear — the animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. firm — decided
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. firm — steady
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rule — government
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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