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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — happy
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. content — the amount
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — in sport
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. net — after costs
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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