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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for golf
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. club — a group
  6. game — a match
  7. hand — help
  8. perch — the fish
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. plane — a 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