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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. court — of law
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. net — for catching
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — a break
  19. court — of a king
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — for sport
  24. cue — a signal

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