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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — the amount
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — music
  7. game — a match
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mate — a friend
  13. firm — decided
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. cue — a hint
  20. firm — a company
  21. march — the month
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — the animal

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