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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 124 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cue — a signal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — a hint
  16. current — happening now
  17. ball — a dance
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — electric
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. march — the month
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ball — a round shape

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