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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: kick · fine · band · saw · cue · wind · key · fork

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. band — a music group
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fine — all right
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — in football
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. fork — in a road
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. key — in music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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