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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · race · pitcher · foot · firm · cue · club · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. foot — a measure
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cell — a phone
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — steady
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. club — a group
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. club — for golf
  24. cell — in biology

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