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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. firm — a company
  4. perch — the fish
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cue — a signal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. land — ground
  9. cue — for pool
  10. game — a match
  11. land — a country
  12. game — wild animals
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. date — the fruit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — decided
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. land — to come down
  23. cue — a hint
  24. firm — steady

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