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

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cue — for pool
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — magic
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. key — for a lock
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spell — letters
  16. charge — in control
  17. key — the most important part
  18. charge — electricity

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