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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 124 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — of a king
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. court — of law
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — in music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wake — a trail

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