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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bound — certain
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kick — in football

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