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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cue — a hint
  4. file — a document
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — a match
  7. file — a tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — wild animals
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. file — a line of people

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