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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cue — a signal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — clothes
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — for pool
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. club — for golf

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