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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. swing — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chest — a box
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — help
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. foot — the bottom

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