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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. firm — a company
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — in music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — temperature
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — thin
  20. firm — steady
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. club — a group
  24. stock — shares

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