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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — to play on
  8. club — for golf
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — a group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mark — a trace
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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