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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — in biology
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cue — a signal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — the Cold War

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