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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. court — for sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of a king
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — army training
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. drill — a practice
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mate — a friend
  21. drill — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — a container

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