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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. toast — bread
  11. suit — to fit
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — certain
  19. face — to point toward
  20. deal — to handle
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cue — a hint
  24. suit — clothes

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