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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. can — to be able to
  17. key — in music
  18. rash — a series
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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