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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cue — a signal
  5. band — a music group
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — there
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — the most important part
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — a lid
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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