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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. key — in music
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bore — to tire
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bore — to drill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. swing — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — to play on
  23. key — for a lock
  24. deal — an agreement

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