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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 120 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: swing · cue · stick · land · bowl · object · wake · rock

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. object — a thing
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. object — to protest
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. land — to come down
  15. object — an aim
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. land — ground

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