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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. object — a thing
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hand — help
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cue — a hint
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hand — in cards
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. object — to protest

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