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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 cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. net — after costs
  19. cue — for pool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pop — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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