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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 124 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. court — of law
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spring — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. court — for sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bear — the animal

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