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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tube — a container
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — a hint
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. field — farmland
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — for sport
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cue — for pool
  20. field — a subject
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. swing — music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bowl — a dish

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