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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cue — a signal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — a face
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cue — for pool
  8. content — happy
  9. drill — army training
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chair — a leader
  13. firm — steady
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — the amount
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fork — in a road
  18. firm — decided
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mug — to rob
  21. firm — a company
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. drill — the tool

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