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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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 — a signal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — a company
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — for sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — of a king
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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