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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. row — a line
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — the amount
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — magic
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bore — to drill

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