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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: bowl · kid · cue · mate · bear · prune · foot · suit

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kid — child
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kid — to tease
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. suit — to fit
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — a hint
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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