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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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468
Word bank
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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cue — a hint
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. scale — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. game — a match
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mouse — the animal

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