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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ground — a position
  19. roll — a list
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — in music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. roll — on a roll

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