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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — to come down
  5. pop — music
  6. spell — magic
  7. land — ground
  8. object — to protest
  9. hand — in cards
  10. land — a country
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spell — letters
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — an aim
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — a short time
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — help
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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