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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stem — to come from
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — of law
  5. ball — a great time
  6. court — of a king
  7. tube — a container
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — for sport
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — in a road

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