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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cue — for pool
  3. key — in music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — obliged
  10. net — in sport
  11. bound — certain
  12. net — for catching
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. file — a document
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — a grade
  20. key — for a lock
  21. file — a tool
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. net — after costs

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