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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitch — completely
  10. court — of a king
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cue — a hint
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. court — of law

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