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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: key · cap · stand · swing · mate · cue · bark · bat

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — music
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — in music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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