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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — for pool
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a hint
  12. race — the arms race
  13. staff — employees
  14. club — a group
  15. race — a contest
  16. hand — in cards
  17. spring — of water
  18. club — for golf
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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