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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spring — a coil
  9. last — final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitch — completely
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spring — of water
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. last — finally
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of a king
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. court — of law
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. last — to go on
  24. court — for sport

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