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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cue — a hint
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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