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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. cue — a signal
  6. present — there
  7. file — a line of people
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. firm — a company
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. firm — steady
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — a hint
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. court — of a king

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