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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — to cool the air

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