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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. season — in sport
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — in cards
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — a hint
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. toast — bread
  22. firm — steady
  23. chair — a leader
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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