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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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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — a signal

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