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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. can — a tin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cue — a hint
  8. last — finally
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — to be able to
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. perch — the fish
  15. can — a tin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — to go on
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ball — a dance
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. last — final

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