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

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. swing — in golf
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pop — music

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