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

Word bank: nail · game · bat · calf · kid · cue · deal · firm

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. cue — a hint
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. firm — steady
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bat — the animal
  10. kid — child
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — decided
  18. kid — to tease
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  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