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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — a hint
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. file — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cue — a signal
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a document
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. firm — a company
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. firm — steady
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. file — a line of people

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