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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — a country
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — ground
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bat — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — to come down
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rock — a stone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — in an idiom

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