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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cue — a signal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cold — not warm
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ball — a great time
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cold — an illness
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. game — a match
  24. tube — a container

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