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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. toast — bread
  14. key — the most important part
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. plane — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. coach — a trainer

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