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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cue — a signal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. root — of a word
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — for pool
  8. court — of law
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. court — for sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. cue — a hint
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. court — of a king
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — steady
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — certain

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