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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. tube — the underground
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. cue — for pool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — child
  15. squash — to crush
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. bear — to put up with

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