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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cue — for pool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. object — to protest
  5. game — a match
  6. cue — a hint
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. scale — size or range
  9. object — a thing
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. game — wild animals
  17. roll — a cake
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. roll — a list
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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