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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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 — a signal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — in music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lean — thin
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — happy
  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