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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — decided
  6. row — a line
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cue — for pool
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — child
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. row — to paddle
  20. firm — a company
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. row — a quarrel

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