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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hand — help
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. fine — all right
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — high quality

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