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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mine — for digging
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. hand — help
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — a gift
  10. lean — to bend
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rest — a break
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. present — there
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lean — thin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. rest — what's left

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