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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. object — a thing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — an aim
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ground — crushed
  15. date — the fruit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. object — to protest
  24. cue — a hint

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