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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cue — a signal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bat — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rash — a series
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fine — all right

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